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Auction: 19015 - The Philatelic Collectors' Series Sale
Lot: 2018

(x) South Africa
1913 (31 Aug.) Compton Paterson Kimberley-Bulawayo Flight
1913 (31 Aug.) specially printed envelope with "<aerogram." at top centre and with additional wording "no charge for delivery." below at left, addressed to Alex Fisher the Mayor of Bulawayo, bearing Transvaal 1d. (2) cancelled with Kimberley datestamp on the last day of the Interprovincial period and showing, on reverse, Bulawayo machine datestamp (3.9), the plane crashing 12km. after take off resulting in South Africa's first crash cover and the first usage of the term "Aerogram"; the envelope damaged at top and with part flap missing where roughly opened though believed to be the sole surviving item of mail recorded from the Kimberley crash. Nierinck 130831. Photo

Note: Following on from the successful Kenilworth-Muizenberg flights Compton-Paterson founded the Paterson Aviation Syndicate Ltd. On this flight the Paterson bi-plane crashed 12km. after take off and the small mail was subsequently carried by train. In October 1913 one of the Paterson flying instructors, E.W. Cheesman, was killed in a rcash involving the only other serviceable machine. This brought about financial ruin of the Syndicate. In 1914 Cecil Compton-Paterson left for England to become an instructor in the Royal Flying Corps

provenance:
Jeidel, June 1988

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Estimate
£1,500 to £2,000